Opaque watercolour of an artist seated at a table painting a female figure, by an anonymous artist working in the Tanjore style, c. 1800.

Tanjore (Thanjavur) is located in the Kaveri Delta of Tamil Nadu and it was the cultural centre of the area in the Vijayanagar Dynasty and under the Maratha rulers. The Tanjore style of painting developed during the 18th century under the Marathas and the subject mater initially revolved around depicting the tales of Krishna. As artists began to migrate from Mysore, Bijapur, Maharastra and Gujarat, themes and styles began to change. In this painting an artist is working on a piece and assorted bowls and brushes lie on the table beside him. An assistant stands in front of the artist holding a paint box.